I Could Have Been Her Superman
by nightlocksalad
Summary: A Gadge One Shot: After Gale and Madge get closer together, the Third Quarter Quell comes to an end. Gale is ordered by Haymitch to evacuate District Twelve, but he's forgetting something that he finds rather important.


"Gale?" She asked, "Do you think Katniss is gonna make it home this time?"

"I guarentee it." I answered, watching her as she stared at the television. "She's got allies and she's probably got a plan."

"I hope so," She mumbled spinning her head to look back at me. Her blonde curls fell perfectly down her right side. She was laying on the other couch in the room. "Do you think you could take me to the woods tomorrow?"

"Have you ever been?" I wondered. She nodded, and said that Katniss had taken her plenty of times, so I agreed to it. "Tomorrow, after say.. 3?"

"Sounds good," She smiled from across the room before turning back to the TV, "I wonder what Katniss would say about us spending so much time together."

"Oh, I'm sure she'd be glad." I guessed, "I mean, we're both friends with her, and now that we're friends we can all hang out sometime."

"Oh, I can't wait for her to come back." She said, adjusting her position on the couch.

"Madge," called Mr. Undersee from another room. "Your friend has to go now, it's getting late."

We both glanced at the clock which read 10:47 PM. I pushed myself up from the couch and walked over to Madge who was already reaching her arms out for a hug. I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before I left to head home.

"Mom, I'm home." I called out, quietly in case the kids were in bed.

"Good, good." Mom called from the kitchen, "Did you bring home any game?"

"What-?" I started, before realizing I was suppose to go check the snares. "Sorry, ma, I forgot. I'll do it tomorrow when I take Madge to the woods."

"Oh, you've been with the Mayors daughter?" She sighed, not wanted to continue. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Yeah," I nodded before heading over to my bedroom.

"Gale," Posy yawned as I passed her bedroom. I slipped inside and knelt beside her.

"Yes, Posy?" I smiled. "Shouldn't you be asleep by now?"

"I can't sleep," She said as she rubbed her left eye. "Is Katniss going to be okay?"

"She'll be just fine." I reassured her, "Don't worry about that and go to sleep, alright?"

"Okay," She nodded and closed her eyes as she got comfy in her bed again. I stood up straight and silently walked out of her room and into mine.

I took my shirt and pants off, leaving me standing in my boxers, before I layed down and went to bed.

"Daddy!" Madge cried to her father. Out of all the people freaking out at the town square, I heard Madge the loudest. Another slash, causing me to yelp in pain. The blood slowly drizzled down my chest. "Daddy! Make them stop! They're going to kill him! Daddy, do something!"

Another whip. Laughing. Madge crying. One more whip. More blood drizzling down my chest. Another slash, and everything went black. I could hear Madge crying. I could hear her father tell her he couldn't do anything. I heard everything around me, but I couldn't see anything.

"Daddy, please!" She cried. "Please! They're going to kill him!"

"I can't, honey." He sighed, "Madge, let's go."

"No!" She screamed, "Gale!"

Another slash. Footsteps. A thud. The sound of a whip slashing someone, but I wasn't me.

I bolted up, covered in sweat. I've been having these dreams an awful lot lately. It happened so long ago, I don't get why it keeps coming up. Maybe because Madge and I are so close now. _I don't know.._

"Gale?" Mom called from outside my door, "Are you up?"

"Yeah," I breathed, "I'm up."

"Good." She said, "Breakfast's ready."

"I'll be out in a minute." I got up, and changed into a basic t-shirt and shorts. I walked out into the kitchen after putting on my hunting belt.

"Your plate is on the table." She smiled, as she made scrambled eggs for herself. "I used the last of the eggs, by the way. So if you can get any eggs, that would be great."

"Alright," I said, as I slumped down into the chair and began eating my breakfast-scrambled eggs and toast.

A week or so, ago, I went into the woods and found a couple bird nests with with eggs in them, so after gathering all the eggs I brought them home for the family. The bread was given to us by Primrose, Katniss' little sister, who comes to visit every so often.

After finishing breakfast, I pushed myself up and looked over at the time, which read 11:26 AM.

"I'm gonna go to the woods for a bit," I told mom, "I'll check the snares, and check for game, and I'll bring it back before I get Madge, alright?"

"Okay, honey." She said, focused on not burning her breakfast. "Be home soon."

"Yeah." I said as I headed out the door and for the woods.

I listened to see if the electricity in the fence was active, then slipped under the fence and walked up the hill, slipping into the trees. I checked all my snares and removed a rabbit from each one before resetting them. I now had about 7 rabbits attached to my belt. I continued on through the woods, searching for any birds or squirrels.

Time flew by and before I knew it, it was 2 PM. I decided to headback home to drop off the game.

I slid back under the fence and walked home.

"I'm back," I announced as I began unhitching the game from my belt and stacking it on the counter. "The game still needs to be skinned and cleaned, but I have about 7 rabbits, 5 squirrels, and 3 birds."

"Thanks, hon." Mom called back from Posy's bedroom. "I'll be right out."

I grabbed a large bowl and a knife and began to skin a few of the rabbits. Mom came out after the 3rd rabbit, and it was 3 PM.

"I'm going to the woods with Madge," I said as I got up. Mom nodded as she sat down and began to skin a rabbit. I put my belt back on and left.

I knocked on their front door and waited. After a couple seconds, I heard quick footsteps and Madge answered the door.

"Hey, Madge." I smiled.

"Hey," She said, as she came outside, closing the door behind her. "Woods?"

"Yeah," I said turning my gaze towards the fence. We walked towards the gap and by the time we reached it, Madge was already sliding under to the other side. "Madge! You need to be careful. You need to check in case the electricity is running!"

"I'm fine. It's not running." She laughed, as she began walking up the hill. "Calm yourself."

"Alright," I breathed, as I slid under the fence, and caught up with her. "Do you know where Katniss keeps her bow?"

"No. But she did leave one for me to use up here in one of the trees. This one-" She said, as she pulled out a bow from a thick slit in a hallow tree. "Yeah."

"Let's go, then." I smirked, as we headed into the woods. We crept silently, looking for game.

"How often do you come across deer?" Madge asked, in a low whisper.

"Um.. Not very often." I answered, raising my brow, as if asking why.

"Oh, nevermind then." She replied.

After maybe 20 minutes, we came across a deer. Madge turned, and gave me a look as if asking permission to shoot. I nodded, and we both aimed at the deer, and after a few moments we released the arrows, and took down the deer.

"Nice job," I congratulated her. "It took Katniss and I about a year or so to get our first deer."

"Thanks," She giggled. "Maybe I'm just better than you."

"Oh, yeah?" I smirked.

"Yep." She smiled.

"Let's see about that," I said, as I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder.

"Let me go!" She laughed, "Put me down!"

"If you're so good, you can figure a way to get down yourself." I laughed.

"Not fair!" She smiled, "This has nothing to do with hunting!"

"Oh well," I chuckled, heading over to the deer. She smacked her fist against my back, repeatedly while laughing and telling me to put her down. When I got over to the deer, I put her down and asked, "Now, genius, what do we do next?"

"We take it back." She said confidently.

"No," I smirked. "We skin it."

"Oh.." She said, "I knew that."

"Sure you did," I laughed.

After about 3 hours, we finally finished skinning and cleaning the deer. It wouldn't have taken as long, but _someone_ didn't know how to skin and clean a deer.

I lifted up the deer, and layed it around my neck so two legs were down my right side, and two were down my left. I slugged down the hill whereas Madge was already waiting for me on the other side of the fence. I slide the deer under the fence before I went under, and picked it up again.

"You can keep the deer, by the way." She smiled lightly. "You need it more than I do."

"Thanks," I said, as I walked slowly behind her. Luckily there weren't many people in town. She slowed her pace, so I could catch up and so we were walking side by side.

"I had fun." She told me. "How about you?"

"Me too," I smiled, "Except for how heavy this is. We shouldn't even be carrying it back right now. I'm surprised nobody's come to try and rip off a chunk for their families.."

"I can help, if you want." She offered, but I shook it away, so she continued. "If you're sure.."

After walking a little while longer, we began to approach Madge's home.

"Thanks, Gale." She smiled, and gently kissed my lips before going inside and shutting the door behind her. I smiled, and headed home.

After awhile I finally arrived home, bringing in the deer.

"I'm back," I announced, "And I brought more game."

"Oh, my god." Rory said, shocked at the fact I brought home a full deer. "Why?"

"Because Madge didn't need it." I told him, "She said for me to keep it. Plus, I have you guys to feed."

"Mom can feed us." He said.

"With the food I bring home." I breathed, as I set down the deer on the sturdy table in the kitchen. "Want to help me re-clean this?"

"Duh!" He said as he hurried over to the table.

After finishing cleaning up the deer, I began cutting it into smaller parts, so it would fit in the freezer to save. When I finished cutting it all up, I wrapped each up individually and placed them in the freezer. Mom was just finishing up dinner.

"Make sure there's nothing left on the table," She told us. We double checked and the table was pretty clean. "Rory, can you wipe down the table, please?"

After Rory wiped down the table, we all had dinner. It was a rather quiet dinner. So when it was done, I headed to my bedroom and fell asleep.

It hadn't been long before I woke up to Haymitch screaming into my earpiece from the rebels.

"Gale!" Haymitch yelled, "Gale! Get up! Turn on the TV!"

I propped myself up on my elbows and asked, "What time is it?"

"11:57 PM, just get up." He ordered, "Do what I say."

"Alright, alright." I got up, and slid into the living room, and began watching the Games with mom, Rory, Prim and Mrs. Everdeen.

As soon as it hit 12 AM, we watched the arena explode due to Katniss' arrow. The cameras went down, the entire network went down. It was just an image of the Capitol's seal.

"Evacuate District Twelve!" Haymitch ordered. "Evacuate, now! The Capitol's sending bombers."

"Got it," I said to Haymitch as I stood up. "Mom, get Posy and Vick. Rory, Prim, lead them to the woods. You know how to get there. Get out now, understand?"

"Yeah," He said, confused. "Just explain to me after what's going on.."

"Alright, but both of you better hurry. And if anyone's outside when you guys leave, tell them to go with you. Tell them it'll save their life." I said, as I darted out the front door and banged on everyone's door shouting for them to evacuate.

I banged on almost everyone's door in District Twelve and I just was helping them under the fence when the first bomb hit. The ground rumbled, and I noticed where it hit. The town square. Madge.

"Madge!" I yelled, as I began to run back for her. That's when the second bomb hit. Her entire house went up in flames, as if it were being done in slow motion. "Madge!"

"Gale!" Rory screamed, "Gale! Come back!"

"Madge," I whispered, as a tear fell down my cheek. I could have saved her. I could have, but I didn't. I closed my eyes, and turned back to the fence.

I began walking regularly to the fence as if nothing were going on. I slipped under the fence and collapsed onto the ground.

"Gale," Prim said, putting her hand on my shoulder. "It's going to be okay.. Look at the amount of other people you saved by this.."

"That's not the point, Prim." I said through clenched teeth.

"Gale, calm down." Haymitch said, "I know how you feel. The Capitol took my family and my girl away. They killed them because I won the games - because I outsmarted them. I know how you feel. Like you could have saved her. Like you're responsible for her death, but you're not. The Capitol is responsible for this. The Capitol killed her, not you. It isn't your fault."

"I could have saved her," I breathed, wiping away a few tears from my eyes. "_I could have been her Superman_."


End file.
